May 2007

Driving south from La Spezia without the gps was successful! We appear to have mastered the toll roads, roundabouts, and reading place names...not perfectly mind...but without too much hassel! We are in homestead which has about 6 villas for tourists, ours is quite basic, and dark and dank, so we spend most of our time outside facing a sparkling deep pool then on to trees and rural scenery. The villa is plaster, terracotta tiles and whitewashed walls with terracotta brick flooring throughout with dark heavy wood beams, doors and windowshutters...we bought up large at the supermarket and we held up the queue because the checkout operator insisted she find us a price for a shopping bag....she took ages and the queue were getting aggitated...we kept telling her not to worry about it, but boy we soon learned...do not buy anything without a bar code, seriously, we were in the supermarket for over 2.5 hours....don't laugh it is true...but the vino was great...! Weather is really warm, around 28oC no rain but is expected tomorrow. We appear to be the only tourists in the town, I am not afraid of speaking da lingo, we have met a lovely Irish couple who appear to enjoy the vino with us. Ahhhh we are such the soaks! We are heading to a big town called San Gimignano tomorrow we are told to get there early to avoid the tourists!! All is well with us, we have got lots of photos which we will download when we return to Uk. We are here until next Saturday and then head south. Love receiving the comments, keep it up, we appreciate very much. Buonasera it is bierra time!!!

Soooh much to tell you. First and foremost the car Lancia. Cute. Small. We set up Gps. We were all set. Problem. Wouldnt start, the radio did! I had to go ask how to start the car! Easy fixed. Depress brake first then engine will start! Why we didnt think of that? Near missed a bus. thought it was on the wrong side of road ...We are on a toll road, auostradde, 8 lanes. Approach the tollbooth. No one in sight. We sat we looked we wondered what to do next, meanwhile banking traffic behind ...barrier in front...no go! I exited to get help and waved traffic behind to go back! Discovered afterwards illegal to vacate car on main road without wearing safety vest! <Meanwhile <noel couldnt reverse the car...it would not go into reverse....meanwhile traffic still approaching, barrier down, meanwhile I get help and told to take ticket from the booth and pay at other end .....meanwhile Noel depressed brake...eureka car goes into reverse.....we hurriedly speed off, but amazingly our tempers were not frayed, not a heated word spoken throughout...believe us not...it is true we were cool calm and very collected...laughed and nearly cried. Our gps had a name for the english version "Kate" well we quickly discovered Kate had no sense of direction and took us on a merry-go-round and after nearly throwing Kate out the window we turned her off and proceeded with our map reading...3 hours later (instead of an hour) we found our destination at the Cinque Terre (look it up above Pisa on the west coast near La Spezzia). Our apartment is in a tiny village (Volastra) set in the hillside high above in the hills, surrounded totally by vegetation, olive trees abundant, beautful fertile vege and flower gardens, just gorgeous. Noel and I sat and drank 2 bottles of vino (local at $8 per bottle) on the rooftop, no handrail, just the roof overlooking the rural tranquill scene. The only sound we could hear was the little church bell tolling every hour then every half....just fantastic...weve got amazing photos for when we get back to Uk to show you. Our apartment is high spec. granite staircases kitchen bathroom and even the windowsills! Marble flooring, brass handles, ornate lightfittings, high timber doors and windowframes and shutters and indian cotton bedlinen (yes really) and immaculate and pristine throughout.....just fab! We walked down a donkey trail about an hours walk straight down through greenery to Manarola, a tiny village on the coast, fishing boats, tiny wee shops and paved streets...we met some Canadians and you know the rest....the bierre is great.....! Thanks for the txts, and the messages, keep it up, we sort of miss you .........we head to a little inland remote village near Sienna tomorrow, ....there will be more to tell you then .....missing you (sort of) ...arrivederci

A 10quid umbrella that broke after an hour's use, new mobile phones where the sim cards were faulty, a flat we were expecting in a dodgy area, a hint of sore throats and runny noses, funds in a UK bank which we couldn't access...that was yesterday...Today was fab! Everything we set out to do today was achieved, the faulty goods were all replaced by friendly shop staff, the Hong Kong Bank was exceptional, we have credit and debit cards and internet access, we declined the flat (it just didnt feel right) and our sore throats disappeared with the taking of excessive aspirin (which also took away the headaches), and to top it off, we had a great pub lunch off the Oxford Street in a quiet cobbled alleyway for a mere 8 quid total, (yep) plus we are enjoying the vast array of english beers on tap...ahhhh could life be on the up 'n up? We've had blustery wind here today, but temperatures are very warm (esp. in the tube), a mixed bag here weather wise. I've used the buses today, whilst Noel keeps to the underground, I seem to know where I'm going?? We are now off to Fulham to visit our kiwi friend for another round at the local, and packing for Europe where we leave for Pisa to begin the Italian leg of our journey. Hey, good news we are mobile, our number for texting is :0044 7786037010 (hope thats right) and we are relying on internet cafes now for the next leg......so Italia here the kiwis come ....arrivederci!

We are concentrating on the positive ...we have been in good ol' London for less than 24 hours and already our patience has been tested from struggling with our luggage and "nicking" a baggage trolley from Paddington in order to alleviate the worry, to not being eligible for a mobile plan as we can offer no permanent UK address! However, we will not be beaten, afterall we are kiwis, we are resilient, are resourceful and we will concentrate on the positive. London we are loving and hating all at the same time. We met a couple from Bolton in a local pub who thought NZ was "in the outback on Australia"....I kid you not ....! We learned of drinking "Guiness and Black" for the uninitiated ie Guiness with a dash of blackcurrant juice!! Smoking is permitted everywhere, and we are struggling to deal with prices here. Still London is like an old friend, you accept the good with the bad and love it no matter what. Tomorrow we head off to the Bank and to the recruitment agency, another day, another 100 pounds!!! Ps thank you to those sending comments, we really enjoy - keep it up guys!

Arriving late at night at the international airport was quite daunting, the flow of pedestrian traffic from getting off the plane to finding our baggage carousel was heavy, people people everywhere, incoming versus outgoing passengers all moving swiftly...Elsie got worried in the taxi ride to the hotel as the petrol gauge was empty and flashing and we seemed to be travelling very fast and in lots of heavy traffic. Luxury hotel, handy to MBK Shopping Centre (super-sized 5 floors of everything imaginable to buy) girls you'd love the cheapness of it all, designer labels and huge variety, just sooh great. We ate at an authentic thai restaurant where the locals ate, fabulous cheap meal of tom yum goon soup, thai chicken curry and spicey chicken noodles and two beers for $40 NZ. The cats roamed freely through the restaurant! Today we walked through a couple of blocks in 32oC heat, the smell of the city and the volume of people and traffic added to the vibrancy! We both loved it, the fast pace and the very friendly quiet nature of the thai people makes us want to return again soon. 3 days here is just not long enough. Hey finally thanks for all your blog comments, we enjoy receiving them, keep them coming guys...NZ just seems so far away just now.....and its onwards to London tomorrow.